How postponing key decisions can quietly erode your business – and a timely lesson from HS2.

You’ve heard about it – the mammoth HS2 high-speed rail project.

Launched with big ambition, it was supposed to revolutionise UK rail before the next general election. Now? It’s been pushed back to beyond 2033, with costs ballooning from around £37.5 billion to over £80 billion.

And that massive overrun? Largely down to delays, shifting scope, and poor oversight. [Read more here]

Delays aren’t neutral. In HS2’s case, every pause equates to wasted taxpayer money, missed opportunity, and spiralling complexity.

Now, imagine that in your business:

  • A hire you keep putting off means tasks still fall to you, blocking your growth.
  • A pricing review you delay eats away your margins month after month.
  • A toxic team member you avoid dealing with drags down the performance of the whole team
  • A team restructure you delay leads to burnout as workload piles up.

In business, as with HS2, those delays magnify cost and complexity. The later you act, the more painful and expensive it becomes.

Why Procrastination Isn’t Harmless

Research in the UK shows companies lose £21 billion a year due to procrastination: time wasted, revenue missed, momentum lost.

That’s not an abstract number.

It’s dozens of missed opportunities. Projects delayed. Competitive advantage chipped away.

What You Can Do Instead

  1. Set decision deadlines…and stick to them
  2. Break big decisions into smaller steps…and take action.
  3. Use accountability…big initiatives become manageable when checked in on.
  4. Track the cost of delay…it motivates more than chasing perfection.

Bottom line?

Every decision you push to tomorrow grows in cost, and erodes control.

If you’re delaying something critical right now… you’re not alone. But you won’t grow until you start choosing.

Need help breaking a big decision into bite-sized steps? Book your discovery session here.

Want to beat procrastination?

Here are some insightful resources from Tim Urban to get you moving:

1. Why Procrastinators Procrastinate

2. How To Beat Procrastination

3. Procrastination Matrix

4. Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator